Philippines Asked United Nations on Entitlements in West Philippines Sea Extended Continental Shelf

Summary

The Philippines has submitted a claim to the United Nations to recognize its undersea continental shelf in the South China Sea, asserting its exclusive rights to resources in the area. This move challenges China's extensive territorial claims and follows the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China's claims. The submission is based on extensive scientific research and aims to reinforce the Philippines' maritime entitlements and sovereignty, promoting a rules-based international order.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The Philippines has requested the United Nations to formally recognize its undersea continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, where it would have exclusive rights to exploit resources.
• 🚫 This move by the Philippines rejects China's extensive territorial claims in the region.
• 🔍 The Philippine government submitted scientific research data to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, emphasizing its commitment to responsible application of its maritime rights.
• 🏆 The 2016 arbitral award confirmed the Philippines' maritime entitlements and rejected claims that exceeded limits under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• 🌊 The undersea region in question, which includes the Spratly Islands, has been contested by multiple countries, including China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
• 📜 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the legal basis of the Philippines' territorial boundary and sovereign entitlements, referencing international treaties and the UNCLOS.
• 🛳️ Tensions have escalated between China and the Philippines over disputed areas, with incidents involving Chinese Coast Guard ships and Philippine naval vessels.
• 📈 The Philippines is pursuing legal measures to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty, including passing bills to define sea lanes and manage foreign vessels in its waters.
• 🔑 The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea defines the continental shelf and grants coastal states sovereign rights over natural resources found on or beneath it.
• 🌐 The Philippines' submission to the UN is part of a broader effort to uphold international law and promote a rules-based international order in the face of maritime disputes.

Q & A

What has the Philippines asked the United Nations to formally recognize?

The Philippines has asked the United Nations to formally recognize the extent of its undersea continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, where it would have exclusive rights to exploit resources.

How does the Philippines' submission to the UN reject China's territorial claims?

The Philippines' submission is a move that rejects China's vast territorial claims to the region by asserting its own sovereign rights and maritime jurisdictions based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

What is the significance of the 2016 award on the South China Sea arbitration for the Philippines?

The 2016 award confirmed the Philippines' maritime entitlements and rejected claims that exceeded geographic and substantive limits under UNCLOS, providing a legal basis for the Philippines' maritime boundaries and rights.

What does the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) define as the continental shelf?

UNCLOS defines the continental shelf as the submerged extension of a coastal state's land territory covering the seabed and subsoil beyond its territorial sea up to the edge of its 370 km or 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

What rights does a coastal state have over its continental shelf according to UNCLOS?

Under UNCLOS, a coastal state has exclusive rights to exploit resources in its continental shelf, including the right to authorize and regulate any kind of drilling, and sovereign rights over natural resources found on or beneath the continental shelf.

What potential resources does the undersea region claimed by the Philippines hold?

The undersea region claimed by the Philippines potentially holds significant resources such as an estimated 165 million barrels of oil and 98.7 billion cubic meters of gas, which would benefit the nation and its people for generations to come.

How has the Philippines responded to China's territorial claims over the West Philippine Sea?

The Philippines has responded by asserting its legal rights under international law, defining its territory and maritime zones in accordance with international treaties, and pursuing legal arbitration to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

What was the outcome of the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China?

The arbitral tribunal ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines, declaring China's claims based on the nine-dash line invalid under UNCLOS, and stating that China violated the Philippines' sovereign rights by interfering with its oil exploration activities and fishing operations.

What steps has the Philippines taken to protect its maritime domain and assert its sovereignty?

The Philippines has taken steps such as submitting its claims to the UN Commission, defining its sea lanes through legislation, and pursuing legal arbitration to assert its sovereignty and protect its maritime domain.

How does the Philippines plan to manage and secure its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone?

The Philippines plans to manage and secure its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone by passing legislation that sets the coordinates for sea lanes and air routes, allows the president to issue rules and regulations, and strengthens enforcement by the military and other authorities.

What was the international reaction to the 2016 arbitral tribunal's ruling on the South China Sea dispute?

The international community largely supported the ruling, although China rejected the decision and continues to defy it. The extent to which China abides by the ruling and the international community supports it will have consequences for the utility of international law in ensuring the peaceful, stable, and lawful use of the seas.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Philippines' Maritime Claims in South China Sea

The Philippines has submitted a request to the United Nations to formally recognize its undersea continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, asserting its exclusive rights to exploit resources in the area. This move counters China's extensive territorial claims. The Philippine government has based its submission on over a decade of scientific research and emphasizes its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The submission is significant for securing the Philippines' sovereign rights and maritime jurisdictions, especially after the 2016 arbitral award that confirmed its maritime entitlements and rejected excessive claims under UNCLOS. The undersea region, including the Spratly Islands, is contested by several nations, including China, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

05:01

🚢 Tensions Escalate Over South China Sea Disputed Waters

The dispute over the South China Sea has led to increased hostilities, particularly between China and the Philippines. Chinese vessels have used water cannons and blocking maneuvers against Philippine ships, causing injuries and straining diplomatic relations. The Philippines has invoked international arbitration, which in 2016 ruled against China's claims to the sea. Despite this, China continues to assert its claims over the area, including the Reed Bank, believed to hold substantial oil and gas reserves. The Philippines has also passed legislation to define its sea lanes and protect its territorial integrity, while military and legal experts emphasize the importance of international law in resolving maritime disputes.

10:02

🗺️ Legal and Diplomatic Challenges in the South China Sea

The Philippines is updating its map to reflect its maritime entitlements in accordance with the 2016 arbitral ruling and UNCLOS, countering China's claims represented by the 'nine-dash line' map. The 2016 ruling largely favored the Philippines, declaring China's claims to historic rights and resources within the nine-dash line unlawful. China has reacted negatively to the ruling, maintaining it is null and void. The Philippines' legal case against China involved extensive documentation and arguments, seeking to declare the invalidity of China's claims based on the nine-dash line, the status of certain maritime features, and China's interference with the Philippines' rights to exploit resources. China has expended resources to discredit the case and the arbitration process.

15:04

🏖️ The 2016 Arbitration and Its Impact on South China Sea Claims

The 2016 arbitral tribunal invalidated China's historical claims over the disputed waters of the South China Sea. It found that China's claims to historic rights within the nine-dash line did not conform to UNCLOS and that UNCLOS does not permit the preservation of historic rights within the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf of another state. The tribunal addressed China's claims to historic rights, the status of maritime features, and the legality of Chinese activities in the South China Sea. The ruling has significant implications for the utility of international law in ensuring peaceful and lawful use of the seas, and it challenges China's historical rights argument, which has been based on evidence of Chinese activity in the region spanning thousands of years.

Keywords

💡Continental Shelf

The continental shelf refers to the submerged extension of a coastal state's land territory, which includes the seabed and subsoil beyond its territorial sea up to the edge of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In the context of the video, the Philippines is seeking to establish its sovereign rights over the undersea continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This is significant as it would grant the Philippines exclusive rights to exploit resources in this area.

💡UNCLOS

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for the use and conservation of marine resources and the management of marine and coastal environments. It is crucial in the video's narrative as it underpins the Philippines' claim to the continental shelf and its resources, as well as the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China's excessive maritime claims.

💡West Philippine Sea

The West Philippine Sea is the area where the Philippines has submitted its claim to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, based on extensive scientific research. This term is central to the video's theme as it highlights the territorial dispute and the Philippines' efforts to secure its sovereign rights and maritime jurisdictions.

💡Spratly Islands

The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 100 small islands, reefs, banks, and atolls in the South China Sea, which are subject to territorial disputes among several countries, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The video discusses the Philippines' efforts to establish its sovereign rights in this contested area under UNCLOS.

💡Territorial Claims

Territorial claims refer to the assertions made by countries regarding their sovereignty over a particular area. The video discusses China's vast territorial claims to the region, which the Philippines' submission to the UN aims to reject, asserting its own territorial claims based on UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral award.

💡Maritime Jurisdictions

Maritime jurisdictions are the legal rights and authority of a coastal state over its maritime areas. The video emphasizes the Philippines' efforts to secure its sovereign rights and maritime jurisdictions in the West Philippine Sea, which include the rights to explore and exploit resources within its continental shelf.

💡2016 Arbitral Award

The 2016 Arbitral Award refers to the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated China's claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. This award is significant in the video as it supports the Philippines' stance and is used to argue against China's territorial claims.

💡China's Territorial Claims

China's territorial claims in the video refer to its assertion of sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which is contested by the Philippines. The video discusses how these claims are seen as exceeding geographic and substantive limits under UNCLOS.

💡Sovereign Rights

Sovereign rights in the context of the video refer to the exclusive rights of a state to exploit natural resources within its maritime zones, such as the continental shelf. The Philippines is seeking to establish these rights under UNCLOS, which are threatened by China's territorial claims.

💡Natural Resources

Natural resources mentioned in the video include minerals, oil, gas, and other organic matter found on or beneath the continental shelf. The Philippines' submission to the UN is aimed at securing its rights to these resources, which are vital for the nation's economic and energy security.

💡International Law

International law in the video is the body of rules, norms, and standards recognized by the international community, which the Philippines is using to assert its claims and protect its maritime boundaries. It is central to the narrative as it provides the legal basis for the Philippines' actions and its opposition to China's claims.

Highlights

The Philippines has formally asked the United Nations to recognize the extent of its undersea continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea.

This move by the Philippines rejects China's territorial claims to the region.

The Philippine government submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

The submission is based on over a decade and a half of scientific research.

The Philippines' submission is a declaration of its maritime entitlements under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The 2016 arbitral award confirmed the Philippines' maritime entitlements and rejected those exceeding UNCLOS limits.

The undersea region where the Philippines seeks to establish its sovereign rights is part of the Spratly area, which is contested by several countries.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the legal basis of the Philippines' territorial boundary and sovereign entitlements.

The Philippines defines its territory in accordance with international treaties and upholds its integrity through international law.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea defines the continental shelf and the rights of coastal states over it.

The Philippines' undersea continental shelf could potentially overlap with those of other coastal states in the South China Sea.

Philippine officials are ready to hold talks to resolve overlapping claims based on UNCLOS.

The submission to the UN can reinvigorate efforts to demonstrate readiness to pursue UNCLOS processes.

The undersea region holds significant potential resources that could benefit the nation and its people.

Hostilities and tensions in the disputed waters have escalated, particularly between China and the Philippines.

The Philippines brought its disputes with China to international arbitration in 2013, leading to a 2016 ruling that invalidated China's claims.

China's claim over the South China Sea includes Reed Bank, which is within the Philippines' EEZ and believed to hold significant oil and gas reserves.

The Philippines Congress passed a bill to define the country's sea lanes to deter encroachments on Philippine waters.

The Philippines should take measures to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The Philippines' submission to the UN is the second time it has pursued its Extended Continental Shelf entitlements.

The national mapping and resource information agency led the preparation of the submission for over a decade and a half.

The Philippines issued a statement that it will publish an updated map highlighting its maritime entitlements in line with the 2016 arbitral ruling and UNCLOS.

The 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines, determining that China's claims, including its nine-dash line, were unlawful.

China has expended resources to discredit the Philippines case and the legitimacy of the arbitration proceedings.

China's historical claims over the South China Sea have been invalidated by the 2016 arbitral tribunal under UNCLOS.

Transcripts

the Philippines has asked the United

Nations body to formally recognize the

extent of its undersea Continental

seabed in the west Philippine Sea where

it would have the exclusive right to

exploit resources the department of

Foreign Affairs said in a move that

rejects China's vast territorial claims

to the

region the Philippine government for the

Philippine mission to the UN in New York

submitted information to the UN

Commission on the limits of the

continental shelf on the extent of its

undersea shelf in the South China Sea

off Western Palawan Province after more

than a decade and a half of scientific

research the submission is a declaration

not only of the Philippines Maritime

entitlements under un convention on the

law of seas but also of the country's

commitment to the responsible

application of its processes the

Philippines underscored the significance

of the submission in securing the

Philippines Sovereign rights and

Maritime jurisdictions in the west

Philippine Sea noting that the 2016

award on the South China Sea are ation

confirmed the Philippines Maritime

entitlements and rejected those that

exceeded Geographic and substantive

limits under unclos the undersea region

where the Philippines seeks to formally

establish its Sovereign rights under the

UN convention on the law of the sea or

unclose covers the spratley a chain of

islands isets reefs and atols that has

been fiercely contested over the years

by China the Philippines Vietnam

Malaysia brunai and

Taiwan earlier this month at the shangra

LA dialogue in Singapore the Philippines

president Ferdinand Marcos Jr enumerated

the legal basis of the Philippines in

determining its territorial boundary and

Sovereign

entitlements we have defined our

territory and Maritime zones in a manner

befitting a responsible and law-abiding

member of the International Community

when we established our Commonwealth in

1935 we put together a constitution that

defined our territory in accordance with

the international treaties became the

basis of our archipelagic Unity the

Treaty of Paris between Spain and the

United States crystalized our Islands

into a cohesive hold the Treaty of

Washington clarified the extent of our

sovereignty and patrimony and a line set

by International Powers we sought to

uphold and preserve the Integrity of our

country's physical Unity through

international law in the west Philippine

Sea we are on the front lines of efforts

to assert the Integrity of the unus as a

constitution of the oceans any effort to

resolve Maritime differences in the East

China Sea and the South China Sea must

be anchored on international law

particularly unas so the lines that we

draw in our waters are not derived from

just our imagination but from

international law we have on our side

the 1982 Unos and The Binding 2016

arbitral award which affirms what is

Ours by legal

right in our in this solid footing and

through our clear moral ascendancy we

find the strength to do whatever it

takes to protect our Sovereign home

through the last square inch to the last

square millimeter the lifegiving Waters

of the West Philippine Sea flow in the

blood of every Filipino we cannot allow

anyone to detach it from the totality of

the maritime domain that renders our

nation

[Music]

whole United Nations convention on the

law of the sea defines continental shelf

as the submerged extension of a coastal

State's land territory covering the

seabed and subsoil Beyond its

territorial sea up to the edge of its

370 km or 200 nautical mile exclusive

economic zone EZ under the 1982 un

convention under article 76 a coastal

State could have exclusive rights to

exploit resources in its continental

shelf a vast stretch of seabed that can

extend up to 350 nautical miles or 648

kilomet including the right to authorize

and regulate any kind of drilling

article 77 grants Coastal States

Sovereign rights over natural resources

found on or beneath the continental

shelf including minerals and other

non-living matter as well as organisms

that are fixed to the seabed or subsoil

the Philippines undersea continental

shelf could potentially overlap with

those of other Coastal states in the

South China Sea including that of

Vietnam Philippine officials expressed

Readiness to hold talks to resolve such

issues based on uncles Philippine

permanent representative to the UN

Antonio lagdo said the move can

reinvigorate efforts of states to

demonstrate their Readiness to pursue

the United Nations convention on the law

of the sea or unclosed processes in the

determination of Maritime entitlements

and promote a rules-based international

order incidents in the waters tend to

overshadow the importance of What Lies

Beneath the seabed and the subsoil

extending from the Philippines

archipelago up to the maximum extent

Allowed by unclo hold significant

potential resources that will benefit

the nation and their people for

generations to come hostilities and

tensions in the disputed Waters have

alarmingly escalated particularly

between China and the Philippines over

two disputed shs since last year Chinese

Coast Guard ships and suspected militia

vessels have used powerful water cannons

and D ous blocking Maneuvers against

Philippine Coast Guard Patrol ships and

Navy boats that have injured Filipino

Personnel damaged their supply boats and

strained diplomatic relations between

the two

countries after a tense standoff between

Philippine and Chinese ships near a Sho

in 2012 the Philippines brought its

disputes with China the following year

to International

arbitration the arbitration panel

invalidated China's claim to virtually

the entire South China Sea in a 2016

ruling but B Beijing refused to

participate in the arbitration rejected

the decision and continues to defy it

maritime law expert and retired Supreme

Court senior associate Justice Antonio

Carpio said the Philippines move was an

exercise of the nation's legal right

which is enjoyed by all member states of

unclose the exercise of such right under

international law is a peaceful act and

cannot be deemed provocative no country

can claim that the Philippines is

Raising tensions in the South China Sea

by virtue of such Act

China's sweeping claims over the West

Philippine Sea includes Reed Bank

located within the Philippines

eez the area is believed to hold an

estimated 165 million barrels of oil and

98.7 billion cubic met of gas according

to the Department of

energy the Philippines Congress passed a

bill to define the country's sea Lanes

to deter encroachments on Philippine

Waters by Chinese and other foreign

vessels and aircraft the Philippines

should take all measures to protect

their nation's territorial integrity and

sovereignty the Chinese are not only

intruding in the western part of its

country but in the South as well the

Armed Forces of the Philippines cited

the passage of people's Liberation Army

Navy training ship and amphibious

transport dock vessel last week through

the basilon straight between Zamboanga

City and basilon Province as they headed

to the West Philippine Sea Maritime

experts in the Philippine Navy however

say that basilon straight is open open

to innocent passage for foreign vessels

including warships as long as they do

not linger house bill number 9,34 passed

in Congress waiting for Senate approval

sets the coordinates designating the sea

lanes and air routes for the continuous

and expeditious sailing or flight of

foreign ships and aircraft exercising

the right of innocent passage the

proposed law will allow the president to

issue rules and regulations relating to

the management and security of the

country's archipelag and adjacent Waters

trans transiting ships and planes shall

be prohibited from conducting any

oceanography or hydrographic survey or

research activity unless permitted by

the Philippine government enacting the

bill it would strengthen enforcement by

the military and other authorities of

sovereign rights within the Philippines

territory Saturday's submission to the

UN commission was the second time that

the country had pursued its ECS

entitlements after it made a partial

submission concerning benam rise in

April

2009 that submission was validated in 12

subsequently adding

135,50 6 Square km of seabed of the

Philippine Sea the department of Foreign

Affairs have long prepared for the

submission of extended Philippine

entitlement to United Nation and in fact

they mentioned during benam Ry

submission in 2009 that they reserved

their right to make further submissions

to the West it was a long inter agency

process that involved deliberate and

intensive scientific research and review

the national mapping and resource

information agency led the technical

working group that prepared the latest

submission for over a decade and a half

the team worked on Gathering and

processing of data on geodetic and

hydrographic information and geophysical

and geological information to

substantiate the

submission at least six neighboring

countries all of which have territorial

disputes with China have objected to the

2023 version of the country's standard

map released on the 28th of August by

the Chinese Ministry of Natural

Resources

the map includes a U-shaped line that

reaffirms beijing's claims to

sovereignty over almost all of the South

China Sea including the West Philippine

Sea a resourcer and strategically

important region through which trillions

of dollars in trade flows each year the

line extends into the exclusive economic

zones of a number of countries the new

map repeats the nine-line claims made by

China and rejected by the United Nations

law of the sea tribunal China has put

one new Dash in the east e section of

the democratic island of Taiwan while

also claiming new territory around north

of

India in response to China 10-line map

last year the Philippines issued a

statement that the National Security

Council and the national mapping and

resource information agency will publish

an updated Philippine map highlighting

the country's Maritime entitlements in

line with the 2016 arbitral ruling and

the United Nations convention on the law

of the sea the new standard map that

will counter China's 10 dash line map

will be the updated version of the

administrative map of the Philippines

which includes the clean island group

Scarboro schol mfield Bank West

Philippine Sea and benam Rise region it

also shows sabba which the Philippines

claims but is not actively pursuing

against aan neighbor

Malaysia on July 12th 2016 the arbitral

tribunal adjudicating the Philippines

case against China in the South China

Sea ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the

Philippines

determining that major elements of

China's claim including its n- line

recent land reclamation activities and

other activities in Philippine Waters

were unlawful predictably China reacted

negatively to the ruling maintaining it

was null and void China may take

assertive and inflammatory steps to

defend its position the extent to which

China abides by the ruling in the

longterm and to which the international

community supports and seeks to enforce

the ruling will have consequences for

the utility of international law as a

tool to ensure the peaceful stable and

lawful use of the Seas going forward

economically diplomatically and

militarily outmatched by China the

Philippines turned to Legal

arbitration the Philippines case

comprised of thousands of pages of

arguments and documents asked the court

among other things to declare whether

China's claims based on the nine dash

line are invalid under unclose declare

whether certain land features in the

South China Sea are rocks Islands or low

tide elevations and declare whether

China has interfered with the

Philippines right to exploit resources

within the Philippines claimed Waters

over the past 7 years China has expended

resources and energy to discredit the

Philippines case and the legitimacy of

the proceedings arguing that it would

neither accept nor participate in the

arbitration in the months leading up to

the ruling in particular Beijing began a

campaign of diplomatic Warfare to

solicit support from other countries for

position and suggested in mid June 2016

that 60 countries had pledged support to

China's position though in reality only

10 countries made public statements to

that effect the permanent Court of

arbitrations 479 page ruling was

overwhelmingly favorable to the

Philippines position ruling several

elements of China's claims in the South

China Sea unlawful key findings of the

ruling include China's claims to

Historic rights and resources within its

n- line have no legal basis

none of China's claimed land features in

the spratley islands are an island

capable of generating a 200 nautical

miles exclusive economic zone China

violated the Philippines Sovereign

rights by interfering with Philippine

oil exploration activities prohibiting

Philippine fishing vessels from

operating failing to prevent Chinese

fishing vessels from operating and

conducting land reclamation in areas

where the Philippines enjoy Sovereign

rights to explore for and exploit

natural

resources China viol at its Marine

Environmental Protection obligations

under unclose by causing severe harm to

the coral reef environment with its land

reclamation activities and harvesting of

endangered species China is legally

Bound by the tribunal's ruling by virtue

of its ratification of unclo for long

China has argued that its claim over the

South China Sea is historical in nature

Beijing relies on documentary and

archaeological evidence indications of

Chinese activity in the SCS spanning

thousands of years to support China's

sovereignty claims at first glance this

proferred evidence may appear to be

sufficient proof of China's claims of

sovereignty especially when China's

sovereignty is assumed and evidence is

sought to support these

claims however this historical rights

argument has been challenged on several

fronts to further disprove China's claim

of historical rights several ancient

Chinese Maps dating as far back as 900

years ago to the song and Tang dynasties

all the maps showed that China's

southernmost territory was the island of

Hanan Additionally the 1947 constitution

of the Republic of China also identified

Hanan as the country's southernmost part

raising questions over what would later

emerge as the n-line claim in modern

history China backed its sovereignty

claim and related rights over this

territory in accordance with the 1943

Cairo declaration in the 1945 pot Stam

Proclamation after World War II Japan

returned to China of the Chinese

territories it had occupied including

Taiwan and the pangu islands the chisha

islands and the nanha islands however

the 2016 arbitral tribunal under the UN

convention on the law of the sea

invalidated China's historical claims

over the disputed Waters of the South

China Sea the tribunal dealt with the

question of whether China's claims to

Historic rights within the n-h line now

10 dash line were in Conformity with

unclos it was first observed that this

area in which China claimed rights

formed in the long historical course to

living and non-living resources like

fisheries and petroleum resources

partially overlaps with areas that would

otherwise comprise the exclusive

economic zone or the continental shelf

of the Philippines in the view of the

tribunal unclose establishes a

comprehensive Maritime zones regime and

allocates rights in these areas to the

coastal State and other states in the

areas of the E and the continental shelf

the coastal State enjoys exclusive

Sovereign rights to the exploitation of

living and non-living natural resources

concerning the rights of other states in

these areas the tribunal found that

unclosed does not permit the

preservation of the historic rights of

any state within the e or the

continental shelf of another state

accordingly the tribunal concluded that

China's claims were contrary to unclo

and exceeded the geographic limits

imposed by it the award addresses three

main substantive issues first the

so-called n-h line and China's claim to

Historic rights in the South China Sea

second the status of certain Maritime

features in the South China Sea and

third the legality of Chinese activities

in the South China Sea